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I have a 3 year old (barely 3) who started maybe 6-8 weeks ago. Mom warned me in the interview that the girl was super hard, but somehow I've found that how parents find a child and how I find a child are two different things. That, combined with the fact that she was three and therefore trainable to some extent, made me decide to take her on. I figured that if I see improvement that it would be fine. And she's only three short days a week (9:30 til 4pm).
The hard behavior is crying a lot (esp at drop off of course) and temper tantrums (not too often--maybe one every other day, usually at drop off). She is super delayed in speech, but still very smart (understands instructions easily).
Well I have seen improvement. So often the way these kiddos act is partly temperament (or special needs) and partly behavior. I taught her that it's fine to cry but she needs to do it on the calm-down sofa (which is covered with a sheet). I had to put a show on for the first week the whole time she was here to help distract her. But really, she has improved a lot.
So I figure that I've helped her a lot with the behavior part, but still, she's a sad child who cries easily. She hardly ever smiles let alone laugh. During the day she often (maybe every hour or so) starts tearing up and says "Weh ah oo mama" or "ah wu oo mama." At this point, if she sounds like she's going to start crying, I ask her if she wants to go to the sofa, and she has learned enough that her answer is usually "no." If she's just walking around wimpering while she plays, I don't say anything.
Soooo...does this sound like separation anxiety? Struggling emotionally due to speech delays? She has an older sib and one with learning disabilities. Mom is a bit of an extrovert and dad comes across as a bit touchy-feely himself.
Any thoughts?
The hard behavior is crying a lot (esp at drop off of course) and temper tantrums (not too often--maybe one every other day, usually at drop off). She is super delayed in speech, but still very smart (understands instructions easily).
Well I have seen improvement. So often the way these kiddos act is partly temperament (or special needs) and partly behavior. I taught her that it's fine to cry but she needs to do it on the calm-down sofa (which is covered with a sheet). I had to put a show on for the first week the whole time she was here to help distract her. But really, she has improved a lot.
So I figure that I've helped her a lot with the behavior part, but still, she's a sad child who cries easily. She hardly ever smiles let alone laugh. During the day she often (maybe every hour or so) starts tearing up and says "Weh ah oo mama" or "ah wu oo mama." At this point, if she sounds like she's going to start crying, I ask her if she wants to go to the sofa, and she has learned enough that her answer is usually "no." If she's just walking around wimpering while she plays, I don't say anything.
Soooo...does this sound like separation anxiety? Struggling emotionally due to speech delays? She has an older sib and one with learning disabilities. Mom is a bit of an extrovert and dad comes across as a bit touchy-feely himself.
Any thoughts?
. I deal with this all the time. I am not sure I have ever had a kid over aged 2 that was able to play when they first began. I always instruct the parents to encourage independant play at home and let them know what is happening in my home.
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